Mangaluru, Apr 15: A tragic accident claimed the life of a 15-year-old boy in Mangaluru, who was electrocuted while playing cricket with friends near Mahakalipadpu in Mangaluru recently. The incident came to light later.

The deceased has been identified as Varun (15), son of Kannana Gowda, a resident of Nirmala Nagar in Mahakalipadpu. Though originally from Bannihatti village in Byadgi taluk of Haveri district, the family has been settled in Mangaluru for nearly 25 years.

According to sources, Varun was playing cricket near a bhajan mandir located close to the Mahakalipadpu underpass. During the game, the ball landed on the roof of the structure. In an attempt to retrieve it, Varun climbed up but accidentally came into contact with a live overhead electric wire.

Those present rushed him to a nearby hospital immediately, but doctors declared him brought dead.

Varun, who was born and brought up in Mangaluru, had appeared for his SSLC examinations just a week earlier and was eagerly awaiting his results during the ongoing summer break.

He is survived by his parents, an elder brother, and a three-and-a-half-year-old sister. His father, Kannana Gowda, runs a small canteen in Mahakalipadpu to support the family.